chases after girl with perfect hair:
by Lehxra
Summary: Sakura likes Sasuke who likes his ex-fangirl Ino who likes her best friend Shikamaru who likes Temari who's failing school. Typical high school story? Probably. ON HIATUS.
1. The Prologue

_**So this is my new story :chases after girl with perfect hair: I have a different version of this story on FictionPress. This story is my first story that's Ino-centric, which is crazy 'cause Sakura is my favorite character, but she's in here too so it's all good.  
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**:chases after girl with perfect hair: prologue**

_We've known each other for a long time. We're best friends. So I wonder if it's strange to have feelings for him. Oh I hope not. Not that I do...or anything...right? I'm contradictive. But I wonder if he like me more than a friend.._

"Hey. Don't hurt yourself. Looks like you're thinking pretty hard there."

Shikamaru. Her best friend/love interest? She didn't know anymore. It wasn't obvious that she liked him more than her best friend in the whole world. She didn't even know if he thought of her _that_ way. Maybe just as a best friend. She was sort of on the..._ odd side._ It surprised her that he even tolerated her as a friend. She had the strangest obsession. She liked hair. As in _really_ liked hair. She had the slight tendency...of chasing after girls with awesome hair. Yeah. In her defense she can't _help_ it. She also gave advice to girls with bad hair days, and always made sure her hair looked fine so she wasn't being a hypocrite.

"Oh, shut up," she said to him. They sat on a park bench, the park being near their houses. Shika watched the clouds. That's all he ever really did. Or sleep.

A few girls walked passed, and Ino couldn't help but notice that one of them had the most _perfect_ fringe. She stood up and was a bout to run and talk to the girl, when Shikamaru pulled her back down.

"Troublesome. Not today." He didn't look aggrevated, Ino noted, but she could sense it. It was like that a lot. She had a feeling she embarrased him sometimes, when she really didn't mean to.

"But.. but.. her hair! I need a picture."

"Hm. Maybe tomorrow," he said and continued cloud watching.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes until Shikamaru decided it was time to go. They walked across the street to their houses. Ino lived to the right of him, in a house practically identical to his, execpt hers was white and his was pale blue.

"Later, Shika!"

"Bye, troublesome woman."

_I wish he'd stop calling me that!

* * *

**So that's my prologue thingy. I hope you liked it!**_


	2. The First Chapter

**:chases after girl with perfect hair: 1**

Sitting on her bed, a pair of scissors and a magazine in hand, she found a model suitable enough and cut her hair off, gluing it to a picture of herself. Across her mirror were many different pictures like the latter, with different hairstyles. She got up and put her newest picture on it. Clearing off her bed, she sighed and fell asleep.

* * *

She woke up the next morning with her hair fuzzy looking and knotted, and looking like utter crap (normal bed head.) She nearly fell out her bed at the sound of beeping. Looking around bewildered, it just happened to be the walkie talkie that Shikamaru and she shared.

'_Hey, you there? Pick up."_

She finally woke up completely to realize where she was. "I just woke up, what do you want from me?! Wait- you're up? Now? That's....strange."

_'Down girl. Just wanna wake you up is all. _You know how long it takes you to do your hair. _If it's not too much trouble for your highness, I need some advice.'_

She laughed. "It's not too much trouble, lowly peasant, but just hurry up!"

_'That's so cruel. I'm a lowly peasant? Anyway. Temari, you know, the girl I told you about? Well she called me yesterday and asked me if I wanted to come to her house and help her study, and of course I said yes. But now... I'm...nervous because I think I really like her.'_

Her heart sunk. This had been news to her...

Silence.

_'You there?'_

"I have to go!" she made up an excuse and ran to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she saw a lone tear. She got changed after she wiped it away. Picking up the walkie talkie again. Bracing herself.

"You still there?"

Silence.

"Hello?"

_'Yeah, where'd you go?'_

"To get changed."

_'So are you going to answer my advice question?'_

"Just act yourself and actually study or something, I don't care!"

_'Gosh, why are you being extra troublesome today.'_

"Why are you saying that? I'm perfectly normal! We have to get on the bus stop. Bye!" she exclaimed, grabbing her backpack and going outside, though there was something very important she failed to get done.

_'Bye...'

* * *

_**Hmm.... I wonder what that was all about..  
**


	3. The Second Chapter

_**(D:) me own Naruto not, or something like that.**_

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:chases after girl with perfect hair: 2**

Shikamaru stood silently at the stop watching the clouds with his other best friend Chouji, who was eating potato chips not so silently. Shikamaru sighed as he turned his head. There was a strange look on his face when he glanced Ino. Like he wanted to laugh, and yet he was utterly confused. "What happened to your hair?" he said finally.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking just as confused as he was. If you had glanced at the two, you would think that neither of them had a clue what was going on.

"You look funny," Chouji gave his two cents.

"Mind your own business, Butterfly boy."

"Pig."

"Shut up!" Nonetheless, she took out her mirror and looked in it to see that her hair looked like utter crap. "Holy crap!" She frantically started combing her hair with her fingers.

Shikamaru, the ass, wasn't being useful at all, seeing as all he could do was laugh. Chouji as well.

The bus soon arrived. The bus driver wasn't used to Ino's hair not having its regular perfect appearance at all, therefore Ino could understand the look that had been given. But her comment of "Did you get hit by a wild train?", Ino reasoned, was too much. She ignored her and sat with Shikamaru in a seat in the back. _My hair's still a wreck. And apparently it was so bad that it looked like I was hit by a train and died or something._

"Here, you're so troublesome let me help you." Before today, Shikamaru had never touched her blond locks; she had made sure of it. But as his fingers ran through her hair, she couldn't help but notice how gently and carefully he did it that sent shivers down her spine.

Shikamaru made sure all the dreadful knots were out.

"There," he said, looking at his masterpiece.

Ino took out her mirror once more, noticing that she wasn't dead or train struck anymore. Her hair was now straight with an actual combed look to it. Ino smiled. "Thanks."

"Welcome. Just, next time, do your hair, okay? So troublesome."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll remember. Hm. Troublesome."

Shikamaru smiled.

* * *

She walked casually to her locker, smirking in the process. _They'll never know._

"Your hair looks good, but that's to be expected."

She nearly jumped out of her skin. Behind Ino stood Haruno Sakura, her other best friend and former rival. Both girls had fangirled over a certain Uchiha Sasuke, but Ino quit because it was messing up the friendship between herself and Sakura, and also because Ino was developing feelings toward Shikamaru.

Ino turned her head. "What did I tell you about sneakiness?"

"Sorry."

"It's fine, forehead, but you'd never believe that my hair was looking pretty horrible not even half an hour ago."

"_I believe it."_

"Huh?"

"I said 'get out!' " Sakura gave a small mischievous look before returning to normal.

"I'm serious. Can you believe I didn't do my hair this morning?"

Sakura shook her head, rolling her eyes. She wasn't as vain as her natural blond friend. "How could you forget? You're losing it, Pig."

"I know. Wait. I'm not losing it! Anyways, it's all good because Shika fixed it on the bus."

"Really?" Sakura inquired. Ino nodded. The pink haired girl shrieked.

"Okay..."

"How did it feel?"

She thought. "Awesome. Now I really don't care if he like Temari.."

"He **WHAT?**"

Ino shushed her. "Don't say it so loudly." She looked up and down the hallway. People were looking at them oddly as they walked past, so she gave them a dirty look. Someone all the way down the hallway caught Ino's eye. **She** has just arrived at school with her brothers, who went their own ways as soon as they got in the building. The siblings all had different hair colors, which made one wonder if they were really siblings. They didn't share the same features either. Especially Gaara, the youngest. He was a freshman, his brother Kankuro a sophomore and their sister, Temari a junior, though she was supposed to be a senior by now. She had flunked the grade and was trying hard not to repeat the same mistake. That's why she needed Shikamaru's help. He was a genius.

As she got closer, Ino crossed her arms and looked Temari straight in the eyes, getting her to stop. "So I see you want to study with Shikamaru."

She looked at her confused. "...Yeah...but who the hell are you?"

Ino glared at her. "What do you mean you don't know me?! I am the one and only Yamanaka Ino; best friend of Shikamaru."

She nodded slowly, smirking. Ino noted that she didn't like this girl already. "I see. Best friends tend to get jealous. It's fine."

Ino gave her a dirty look. "I am not jealous! Just don't try and seduce him or something. I'm warning you."

Temari gave a look of disbelief. "Why would you even think that of me? I really need to study. I'm failing practically everything!"

"Oh."

"You make sure he doesn't try anything on _me_, okay?"

"Hmm. He told me this morning that he likes you. Whoops. Wasn't supposed to say that. Silly me." Her tone was laced with bitterness. _I wonder if she caught that_.

She giggled like some young school girl. "I suppose he's kinda cute. I need to get to my locker now. See you around."

_I hate this girl. I will not 'see you around'. _She looked around. Sakura was just standing there taking it all in. "Sakura? Sakura! Come back to the living now."

She snapped out of it. "Did you just tell your mortal enemy that your total crush is crushing on her?! Are you crazy?! And now she conveniently thinks he's cute!" she yelled, "ya dumb blond," she muttered the last part.

"Oh," she said and started all thought processes. "That wasn't smart, was it?"

Sakura sighed.

"Let's go to homeroom," Ino offered. They walked the short distance to homeroom quietly, where Ino did her math homework and Sakura read the latest edition of Shonen Jump.

Uchiha Sasuke watched the Yamanaka girl quietly, thinking. She and her pink haired (annoying) friend had been his number one fangirls, until Ino started to not like him anymore which naturally made Sasuke attracted to her. He contemplated whether he should go over there or not, since Sakura was (annoying) and he wasn't on any sort of terms with her. They shared a common loud mouth friend (Naruto) but that was about it.

Sitting down next to Ino, he greeted her with a cool 'yo.'

Ino found it rude that he didn't say 'yo' to Sakura as well; she was right there! And Ino voiced her disagreement.

Sasuke's non-emotional face was void of anything, but on the inside he sighed and cursed Ino for noticing. And Sakura for (annoyingly) being there.

"Hn. Yo, Haruno."

"Hi, Sasuke-kun," she said blushing, which Ino noticed. Ino elbowed her. "Ow."

The Uchiha went to talk to the Hyuuga.

"Sakura, tell me you do not still like that piece of trash."

"I can't help it, Ino! Sasuke is just so....amazing."

"You obviously have bad taste in boys."

"..."

* * *

**Haha. Sakura's like. "...what...?"**


	4. The Third Chapter

**:chases after girl with perfect hair: 3**

Ino got bored and started brushing Sakura's hair.

"Ino, this is very unnecessary. My hair was fine."

"No it wasn't. Now it is."

/

Ino's first four classes went by fast, seeing as she wasn't paying any sort of attention. Lunch, in her opinion, tasted like cardboard, and she had no money on her to go to Starbucks. The other four classes she pretty much fell asleep in. It was a surprise that _she_ wasn't the one failing. Then the careless girl fell asleep on the bus.

Shikamaru looked at her sleeping form and sighed, before forcefully shaking her.

"It's time to go. You're so troublesome."

"I bet you were asleep too," she muttered to herself. They got up and walked off the bus together with Chouji, who went his separate way after saying goodbye. The pair walked up their driveway.

"Later, Shika."

"Bye, troublesome woman."

She was reaching for her doorknob when, "Wait, troublesome woman! I mean Ino. Heh. I saw you talking to Temari in the hall-"

_Busted_

"-what were you talking about?"

"Uh... girl stuff. Yeah. You know; regular girl stuff."

He raised an eyebrow. She burped. _Wow. That was very girly._ He raised both eyebrows.

"Okay... Talk to you later," he walked in his house. She did the same.

"Mom, I'm home." No answer. "Hello?" No answer. "Dad?" Silence.

_They're never home._ She found a note in the kitchen.

_'Ino, we went to visit your grandmother. Be back later.'_

_They are so luck that I am the good child that doesn't throw parties._ "I barely see them," she said walking upstairs.

She did her homework (wow, that was a first) and called Sakura.

"Hey, wanna hang out over here? My parents went to my grandma's and I finished my homework."

_It was nice of them to visit her. I mean, ever since grandpa died, I've been kind of worried. I hear about those widows, heart broken to the point that they just can't go on. I don't want her to be lonely. But they could have at least thought to bring me along._

"Yeah, be over in a minute."

Like, literally, one minute later...

"That was fast..."

Sakura walked into the house, Ino closing the door after her. "Yeah. I skipped down the street," she smirked and leaned against the den's wall.

"Strange."

She clapped her hands together. "So, what are we going to do?"

Ino blinked. "...didn't think it all through."

"You're quite the procrastinator, Ino my dear."

"Hey! I...no. Uh uh!"

"Right..." She grinned after a moment. "Give me a makeover. I need one. Maybe then Sasuke-kun won't shun me anymore."

"Shun the non believer."

"Shun! Shun!"

"But seriously, he's not good for you."

"Hmph."

Ino looked Sakura over and grinned. She didn't know how much Ino longed for her to say those words. Sakura wasn't ugly or anything, but she was one of the few who cared less about their appearance and more about anime. Ino never really got into it. She was more of a makeover-reality show person. She believed that she had major skills. "I got a better idea," she said. "A mini extreme makeover: teen edition. I'll film it so then you can watch it everyday for forever."

"That's hot."

"You wish you were Paris."

"Paris is a little...never mind."

"Hey. Paris had got some nice hair."

"Extensions."

"You lie!" Ino glared and made her way to the closet that her family kept the electronics in. She might have opened the door too swiftly, because everything almost came tumbling down on her. She managed to squeeze the video camera and tripod through the small opening she left open. _Note to self: Never open that door again..._

She set it up in front of Sakura, who had sneakily gotten Ino's hair supplies and makeup._ Little sneak._ Ino took her already ready to use 1 inch flat iron and a comb and simultaneously parted and straightened Sakura's hair. Her pastel pink hair was naturally semi-curly, which Ino never thought complemented her face. Sakura had these big green eyes that just seemed like having curly hair wouldn't bring much attention to them.

_I saw an episode of 'How do I look' that said that people with green eyes were bound to have a better appearance with natural toned eyeshadow._

She put some brown over Sakura's eyes, moving her head a lot in the process. Sakura was one of those lucky people that had skin as soft as a babies bottom and blemish free. The blush and foundation were pretty useless.

Ino sighed. It seemed like she was done. She grinned at her lovely creation. "Would you like to watch the talents of the great and powerful Ino?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Ino looked at the cords. Then at the camera. Then at the DVD player. _What goes where and where goes this? _"Uh... wanna help me out here?"

"Hai!" she agreed in that little Japanese voice that she thought was cute. Ino didn't know how she knew the language just by watching tv all day.

Sakura laughed. "You sound good on camera. You trying out for the play? 'Cause you really should."

"Really? I didn't think about that. I think I will. What play is it?"

"Romeo and Juliet."

She shuddered. "That book sucked! Romeo! Romeo! Blah blah blah I'm a little-" Sakura cleared her throat. "I'll...try out anyway," she said and refocused on the television.

"Whoa. That was a little too much hair spray," Sakura said, watching Ino's awesome skillz.

_I think I have an Olive Oil hair spray fetish; it smells really good..._

"Oh looky. I look pretty. Too bad it's night and I have to take a shower and wash all the stuff off and go to sleep and mess my hair up," she smiled cheekily.

_I 'cried.' I believe they call it 'anime crying?'_ "I completely forgot! It looked good while it lasted-" sniff- "Take the DVD to share the memories."

"Uh huh." She shook her hair. "Now it looks better than yours."

"Dream on, girly." Ino grabbed a mirror and looked back and forth from Sakura's hair to her own. She had forgotten that today her hair wasn't professionally done by herself. "Oh crap, you're right."

"I'm right? Hmm. That's different."

"Well, at least I know I can make it in the world as a hair dresser."


	5. The Fourth Chapter

**:chases after girl with perfect hair: 4**

It was nights like these where it was near impossible to get to sleep. When the humidity level was so high you suffocate, and closing the window is the most stupid thing you can do. And you need to stick your head out the window and try your hardest to feel something, when you hear noises downstairs. And at first you're worried, but then you realize 'Oh. It's _them.'_

Silently, Ino went downstairs to see that _they_ had returned. _Took them long enough...who really cared anyway? It's not like they even _acknowledged_ that they had a daughter._ She returned to the window that called to her ever so gently with the wind. Who needs_ them_ anyways? She locked her hardwood cream colored door and yet again returned to the window. She noticed that in the next house, an arm was sticking out of a window. Grabbing her favored source of communication (walkie talkie) she said, "Hey, you awake?" The person at the other window looked up, then out the window.

Ino put her walkie talkie down and said through the window, "They just got back."

"It's four in the morning. Who stays over anyone's house til morning?" he asked.

Shikamaru stared blankly at her, but she could tell by the corners of his eyes that he was trying not to smile. Because eyes can smile. Oh yes. Eyes seriously give off your emotions. Those lil sneaks...

"I'm sure of it," he said, finally raising an eyebrow.

"They totally do! I have proof! See?" she held out her hand. "It's invisible drugs! I found them on the counter!"

"Um... four in the morning is not a good time for you to be up. Or anyone, for the matter," he yawned, "Get some sleep."

"Whatever," Ino said, laying back down and trying to fall asleep on a night near impossible. And as she did, she could have sworn that she heard a soft voice say, "G'night, troublesome princess" as it floated to her in the wind.

Ino blinked. She blinked some more. Where was she again?

"Thank the Lord in Heaven it's Friday!" she screamed. As it was said, she heard Shika scream from his room and a thump was heard. Moving to the window, she yelled, "You ok?"

Recovering, he said, "How troublesome. Please warn me when you decide to scream like a banshee again. You could have given me a heart attack. I'd prefer _not_ to die young."

"Sorry," she whispered and closed the window. She got out of the bed and took a quick shower, got dressed in a green off the shoulder shirt and some jeans, did her hair in a high pony tail and ran downstairs to make breakfast, only to find out that she couldn't cook eggs.

As usual, both her parents had already left for work. She walked outside to the bus stop to meet Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Hey, can you eat breakfast with me in the cafeteria? I can't scramble eggs."

"I will!" Chouji said.

"Nobodies talking to you, Chunky boy."

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag... didn't I tell you not to cook again? You remember what happened last time, don't you? Either something is burnt or overcooked. And-"

"I... don't need a lecture."

Chouji laughed.

"Shut up, big boy!"

"Hm. Fine, I'll go," Shikamaru said.

-breakfast!-

Munch Munch

-school time-

"skool iz 4 loserz"

-nap time-

"...?"

-Real time!-

"Ignorant parents, I'm home!" No answer. She sighed in utter relief. If they had been there to hear that...

"I don't want to think about it," she said aloud to the air. "Homework, thy shall die with a vengeance!"

-Homework time!-

3.14 x 2 x the cubed root of 15 to the half power is...is...um...

-Columbus crossed the ocean blue but got the wrong place because he was mentally ill-

-you are a homosapien-

-tv time!-

-No, Darell, don't go, I love you!-

-change-

-My teeth are whiter than ever-

-change-

-Do you know the muffin ma-

-super change-

"Why isn't there ever anything decent on cable tv?"


End file.
